August 6th Monday 1804 at 12 oClock last night a Violent Storm of wind & rain from the N. W. one perogue (Bapteest Le Joness [La Jeunesse] Patroon)[2] lost her Colours Set out early & proceeded on passed a large Island on the S. S. back of this Island Rivie de Soldiert[3] Come in on the S. S.— the Solder's River is about the Sise of Nodaway 20 yd. wide at the mouth, passed two remarkable places, where the River had once 〈river〉 Passed— We have every reason to belive that one man has Deserted Moses B: Reed he has been absent three Days and one french man we Sent to the Indian Camps has not joined us, we have reasons to beleve he lost himself in attempting to join us at the Council Bluff— we are deturmind to Send back 4 men to take reede Dead or alive, also hunt La Liberty and to meet us at the Mahar nation as Soon as the order is executed.

Course Distance reffurence. 6th Augt. Monday 1804

N. 30° E

1

me. to a pt on the L. S. the Island opposit and about
opsd. Soldier's River

N. 15 E

3 ½

Mes. to pt. in a bend S S below a chanl. of the river lately
filled up passed a Sand bar below making from pt. be-
low the upr. Pt of R. (1) This Island is Seperated from
the S. S by a Chanl. of 40 yds. Swift Crt.

West

1

mile to a pt. of woods above a large Sand bar Makeing
out from the L. point.

West

1 ½

ms to a pt on L. S. Willows

S. 55 W.

3 ½

Ms. to a pt. of Willows on the S. S. the land naked &
within 3 Ms of the R. Ld

N. 10 W.

½

on the S. pt. a Sand bar in the Middle

N. 18 E

3

mile passing over a Sand bar on L. S. to a pt. on the Same
Side.

North

1 ½

me. to a pt. on the S. S

N. 18 W

½

on the Sand bar from the pt.

East

3〈½〉

to a Pt. Willows making from the L. point psd. a place
of Snags

N 16 E

1 ½

ms. to a pt. on the S. S. an old bed of the River S. S. but
fiew 〈no〉 Snakes on this part of the river[4]

20½

[Clark]

6th August, Monday 1804

At 12 oClock last nigh a violent Storm of wind from the N W. Some rain one pr. of Colours lost in the Storm from the bige Perogue. Set out early and proceeded on passed a large Island on the S. S. back of this Isd. Soldiers River mouths, I am told by one of the men that this river is about the Size of Nadawa river 40 yards wide at the mouth. Reed has not yet come up. neither has La Liberty the frenchman whome we Sent to the Indian Camps a fiew miles below the Council Bluffs.

Course Distance &. August 6th

N. 30° E.

1

me: to a pt. on L. S. opposit the mouth of Soldiers River
S. S.

N. 15° E.

3 ½

Ms to a pt. in a bend to the S. S. below a chanl. of the river
laterly filled up passed a Sand bar from the L. pt.

West

2 ½

Ms to a willow point on the L. S passed a Sand bar make-
ing out from the L. pt.

S. 55° W.

3 ½

Ms. to a pt. of willows on the S. S. the high land within 3
miles of the river on the L. S.

N. 10° W.

½

me. on the S. pt. a Sand bar in R.

N. 18° E.

3

ms. passing over a Sand bar on the L. S. to a pt. on the
Same Side of the Missourie.

North

1 ½

Ms. to a pt. on the S. S.

N. 18 W.

½

me. on the Sand from the pt.

East

3

me. to a pt. of willows on L. pt. passed a place where the
Snags were thick.

N. 16° E

1 ½

ms. to a pt. on the S. S. and a place where the river for-
merly run leaving Ponds in its old Channel S S.

20 ½

[Ordway]

Monday 6th a violent storm came up about 12 oClock last night of wind & rain from N. W. we Set out eairly this morning. passed a large Isld. on N. S. back of this Isld. comes in a Creek Called the Soldiers R.[5] on N. S. as big as the Nardaway R. at the mouth passed round bends & Sand bars & a prarie on S. S. & Groves of cottenwood on the bank, on N. S. near the River is a Spit of cottenwood timber but praries back of that Generally.— M. B. Reed who went back on 4th ult has not returned yet nor La Liberty who went for the Indians has not returned we expect he got lost attempting to come to us from the nation but we have all reason to think that Reed has deserted. we came 20½ miles this day & camped[6] on the S. S. of the River, George Drewyer Joined us this afternoon & fetched 2 Deer & one faun &.C.—

[Floyd]

monday August 6th 1804 we Set out at a erley ouer this morning prossed on passed a Creek on the N. Side Called Soldiers Creek it Comes in Back of a Isld near the N. S. about 12 oclock Last night a villant Storm of wind and Rain from the N. W— Camt on the South Side the Land Low that on the N S. the Saim

[Gass]

Monday 6th. We proceeded at an early hour this morning, after a stormy night of wind and rain; passed a creek on the north side, at the back of an island, called Soldiers creek and encamped on the south side.

[Whitehouse]

Monday 6th the morning was fair got under way at Sun Rise passd. an Island to the L. S. Roaed 12 miles before Dinner. the hunters[7] brought 3 deer to the River Campd on the sd: S. Roaed 18¾ Miles—

Monday August 6 This morning being fair, we got under way at Sunrise, and passed an Island lying on the So. West side of the River, we rowed 12 Miles by Dinner, the hunters brought 3 deer to the River we encamp'd on the So West side of the River in the evening having row'd 18¾ Miles this day.—

1. Under the August 6 entry is written the following:

Leav

[Zages?]

60 = 150

[Salem?]

110 = 300

450

And at right angles to the rest of the page is this address revealing that the sheet had earlier served as an envelope: Jeffersonville I. T. Feb. 9th 25 Captain William Clark near Cahokia By Mail. (Return to text.)

2. The only reference to La Jeunesse as "patroon," that is, foreman of the French boatmen. Clark may have intended to refer to Baptiste Deschamps, the actual patroon, or he may only have meant that La Jeunesse was in charge of the one pirogue at this time. See Appendix A. (Return to text.)

3. The mouth of Soldier River, in Harrison County, Iowa, has apparently moved about considerably over the years, just as the Missouri has changed course. See Atlas map 14. It is questionable that there were any white soldiers on this stream before Lewis and Clark. The name probably derives from the French trader's term soldier for members of Indian warrior societies, who often kept order in camp and protected traders. Petersen, 464–65; Hodge, 2:614–15; Nicollet (MMR), 388; Warren map 6; MRC maps 24, 25; MRR maps 68, 69. (Return to text.)

4. The courses and distances give the only information on this day's camp, other than that on Atlas map 14. It was apparently on the starboard side, in Harrison County, Iowa, roughly halfway between the Soldier and Little Sioux rivers. MRC map 24; MRR maps 69, 70. (Return to text.)